Dr. Petillo's Blog

President Petillo's Blog: January 29, 2016

I have to admit that I love the beauty of this campus right after a snowstorm. I want to take a moment to thank all the staff who were here during the storm to clean up the pathways and roadways and care for our students. My thanks especially to Campus Operations, Public Safety, Chartwells, Residential Life and Student Affairs.

Today we bid a fond farewell to Father David Buckles who has been our chaplain for the past three semesters. We wish him all the best as he takes on a new ministry as a hospital chaplain in New Jersey. At the same time, we give a Pioneer welcome to our new chaplain, Father Bruce Roby, who most recently served the St. James parish in Stratford. He begins his ministry here on Monday.

The students who participated in our Freshman Fall Abroad program are back on campus, and they gathered for a recognition ceremony this week that I was fortunate to attend. These Pioneers kicked off their college careers by spending their first semester at either our campus in Dingle, Ireland, or our partner university in Rome, Italy. Beyond their academic accomplishments, students were commended for their community engagement in supporting refugees in Rome and assisting with charitable events in Dingle. Their actions reflect their commitment to the mission of our University even while abroad. We are immensely proud of our students’ efforts and are excited to have them back on campus and sharing their international experiences with the SHU community. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the many opportunities that SHU offers for a global experience.

I am excited to share our plans to offer a new graduate certificate in big data analytics as part of a partnership between the Jack Welch College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences. The program, planned for next fall, will look at business analytics, data warehousing, business forecasting, big data marketing and statistics. It is a combination computer science and digital marketing certificate that will meet the needs of many working professionals.

Earlier this week, Public Safety and the Commuter Council held an outdoor information session about safe winter driving. They handed out ice scrapers and hot cocoa. It was a fun way to remind the campus community that a little extra caution is necessary during winter weather.

On Thursday, students in Professor Julie Mujic’s Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union class heard from a faculty panel on “The Significance of the Soviet Experience.” Participants included Professors Charlotte Gradie, Jonas Zdynas, Robin McAllister, Abderrahmane Soudani and Lucjan Orlowski. I love to see our faculty supporting one another for the benefit of our students. This is the first of four lectures where Julie’s students will hear from faculty guests.

From left are Professors Julie Mujic, Jonas Zdanys, Lucjan Orlowski, Robin McAllister, Charlotte Gradie and Abderrahmane Soudani.

Congratulations to Professor June-Ann Greeley on her invitation from Boston College to participate in a panel discussion at a conference in April. The panel will focus on the church and the declining number of congregants. We look forward to hearing all about the conference when June-Ann gets back.

We are excited to host the Global Game Jam on our Stamford campus this weekend. Participants will join a team of developers from around the globe while creating a game based on one central theme. Participants will also contribute ideas and playtest games. I believe there are one or two teams from SHU participating. We wish them the best of luck and hope everyone has a great time.

If you’ve visited our athletics website recently, you probably noticed something different. The website underwent a redesign this month, and it looks great. The same stories, information and photographs are there, but there are also some new features and a fresh format. Visit the site to see all the great things our athletes are doing.

It’s another busy weekend on the home courts for our student-athletes. Tonight the women’s ice hockey team battles William Smith at 7 with a second match-up at 2 Saturday afternoon. These matches will take place at the Sports Center in Shelton. Also on Saturday, the women’s basketball team will face Bryant University at 1 p.m., and the men will take on Bryant at 3:30. We wish good luck to everyone playing home and away. Go Pioneers!

Enjoy the weekend.

President Petillo's Blog: January 22, 2016

Welcome back! The campus is a different—and much improved—when the students and all the faculty are back. I hope you all had a rewarding break and are ready for a successful and exciting spring semester.

Yesterday we hosted our annual breakfast for our local legislators. We had a great turnout and a lively discussion about the issues that will impact us in the coming year, particularly proposed cuts to the Governor’s Scholarship Program and the PILOT program. We also had a chance to share the exciting things that are happening here at SHU.

Later, dozens of students and faculty gathered in University Commons for a celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., and a time of reflection. David Kirkland, executive director of New York University’s Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools and associate professor of English and urban education, raised questions and told personal stories that allowed the audience to think hard about society and black lives. His talk was titled, “The Truth That I Owe You: Making Black Lives Matter in Classrooms.” Many thanks to the Office of Volunteer Programs and Service Learning for hosting the event and opening our hearts and minds.

Last night’s Pack the Pitt event was all the more successful because our Pioneers provided a victory over first-place Mount St. Mary’s in an edge-of-your-seat contest that had 30 lead changes. At no time did either team lead by more than five points. Great job, and thanks to everyone who turned out to support the team.

We also had a couple of great events at the Graduate Center in Stamford yesterday. The Fairfield County Business Council’s increasingly popular iTalent Roundtable Meeting was attended by 24 representatives of local companies. Speakers included Business Council representative Joe McGee on General Electric, economic competitiveness and talent shortages and SHU Alumni Mark Stankiewicz, program services coordinator at the Department of Labor, on the American Apprenticeship Initiative.

Later that evening, the American Marketing Association of Fairfield County presented “Quantifying Frustration: Why Customers Leave and What to do about It.” Stephen Beck, founder and managing partner of management consulting firm cg42, shared his experiences working with Microsoft, IBM, MasterCard Worldwide and General Electric.

Professors Andrew Miller and Rupendra Paliwal were at Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India over the break to teach classes to local Indian students, consult with PDPU faculty on building curriculum and facilities and begin building an ongoing relationship between SHU and PDPU. Andrew had the opportunity to work with students in a film analysis/film production course while Rupendra taught finance to business students. We are excited about continuing this partnership, and this visit was just a first step. This summer, we look forward to welcoming 30 communications and 30 business students from PDPU for four weeks of classes and sightseeing.


This year, our Horizons at SHU program is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a variety of special events. We will be publishing a schedule of activities and will provide you with more information throughout the semester.

Appointments for all of the Jandrisevits Learning Center’s academic support services are now available through a centralized online appointment system. The JLC is now located in the Student Success Center on Park Avenue. I encourage anyone who needs a little extra help to take advantage of the many services offered by the JLC.

When you have a chance, stop by Holy Grounds in Christian Witness Commons and check out the fun, new neon sign that was recently installed there. Tonight Bill Haug, marketing director and SHU alum, will be performing beginning at 8 p.m. While you are there, be sure to order the Petillo Perk. I highly recommend it.

It’s a busy weekend on the home courts for our student-athletes. Tonight the men’s volleyball team takes on Alderson Broaddus and the men’s hockey team battles RIT at the Milford arena. Both games start at 7. The women’s ice hockey team plays Becker at 4 tomorrow, and the men’s team goes against RIT again at 7. We wish the best of luck to them as well as to all the teams that are traveling for away games. Go Pioneers!

It remains to be seen how much snow we’ll get tomorrow. Regardless, stay safe and enjoy the weekend!

President Petillo’s Blog—January 15, 2016

Break is almost over, and I am looking forward to watching the students arrive back on campus over the holiday weekend. We extended the winter break this year to give students more of an opportunity to participate in mission trips and other educational experiences, and I am happy to say that many took advantage of it.

As always, a group of students spent a part of this week focused on CURTIS Week activities. CURTIS Week is our annual week of engagement, reflection, service and immersion in Bridgeport, and it gives participants a chance to learn first-hand about diversity and urban issues of poverty, racism and immigration. Students stayed at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bridgeport and spent their days working in the community. They also attended various religious services in Bridgeport and experienced the food and customs of some of the various cultures represented in Bridgeport.


We also had students traveling the country and the world to give their time to those in need. This included a group working with Habitat for Humanity affiliate to rebuild homes in Lucedale, Miss.; a group who worked for two weeks in Guatemala with families and children concentrating on community development; and another four students who worked in Oaxaca, Mexico, with the Norwalk-based Simply Smiles nonprofit agency, providing relief to the poverty-stricken region by putting a new roof on a home. Thank you for taking the time out of your winter break to participate in these worthy causes.

Our band students are also overseas in Dingle, Ireland. They performed in several concerts, including one today that you can access from our website. They also took time to see the sights and experience Irish culture.

For the past several months, SHU media studies student and Fulbright U.S. Student Award recipient, Christopher Minardi, has been in Albania creating a web-based educational platform for Albanian teachers, students and anyone interested in online learning. He plans to create a forum to exchange ideas for improving teaching methods and for helping those interested in a variety of subjects grow and develop. While Chris is there for the remainder of the Albanian academic year, he will continue to represent the U.S. as a cultural ambassador helping to enhance the mutual understanding between Americans and the Albanian people. Congratulations, Chris, and thank you for representing Sacred Heart so well.

Still on the subject of overseas, Rupendra Paliwal shared an ad in the India Times that celebrates our partnership with PDPU and announces that Rupendra and Professor Andrew Miller will be teaching courses there in financial management and digital film studies & production. More and more, we are extending our reach internationally.  

We also had some visitors here from overseas. Two photographers from Slovenia were onsite this week to take photos of the breathtaking mosaics in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. The mosaics, as many of you know, were created by world-renowned Slovenian artist, Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, a few years ago. The photographers have been tasked with photographing all of Fr. Rupnik’s work in the United States, which includes the mosaics here at SHU, as well as in the Knights of Columbus Holy Family Chapel in New Haven and in the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. I can’t wait to see the results of their great work.

Even with the students away, it has been a busy couple of weeks here on campus. We have hosted some really great programs and discussions on some important issues. On Saturday, hundreds of young people, ages 16 to 24, were on site for Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Thrive By 25 regional summit. The full-day event, hosted by SHU’s University College, included guest speakers and workshops on how youth can prepare to be self-sufficient by their mid-20s. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal stopped by to encourage attendees. He was impressed that so many were willing to give up a Saturday to invest in their future. Thanks to Mary Lou De Rosa for seeing the connection between the goals of University College and Thrive By 25 and for bringing this great initiative to campus.

On Monday evening, SHU hosted a community discussion on Connecticut’s opiate addiction crisis in the forum at the Martire building. The event was sponsored by local state legislators and included local politicians, law enforcement and emergency personnel who asked the audience for advice on how to solve the growing opiate crisis in Connecticut. Many parents shared their personal stories on coping with a son or daughter suffering from addiction. Members of support groups and health networks also shared resources and ways to combat opiate addiction. More honest conversations like this one are needed as we work together to combat a serious problem in our state.

The Stamford Graduate Center at Landmark was also busy. On Wednesday, SHU hosted a financial aid workshop co-sponsored by the Beyond Limits Academic Program, a program of Stamford Peace Basketball Club, Inc. and Let’s Get Ready. The workshop began with a financial aid presentation by Mathew Magliocco, senior associate director, student financial assistance, for SHU. Participants then transitioned to a computer lab where they were assisted, step by step, with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. There was an excellent turnout of junior and senior high school students from Norwalk and Stamford. 

We also hosted two meetings there yesterday on significant regional issues—leadership and sustainability. At The Business Council’s Human Capital Council monthly meeting, Bob Granata, president and COO of First County Bank, shared his perspective about developing leaders, with about 30 people who work with human resources and talent (including employers, consultants, educators, non-profits and recruiters). Bob also spoke about his personal experience participating in the Leadership Fairfield County program, which he found very valuable. I know several folks from SHU have participated in this worthwhile program.

Stamford 2030, a sustainability nonprofit focusing on reducing energy, water and transportation emissions in the Stamford business community, hosted 20 people at Landmark to discuss resiliency and emergency preparedness. Pete Picarillo from the Business Network of Emergency Resources was the guest speaker and presented the Corporate Emergency Access System, an emergency credentialing program that connects key employees with government authorities during emergency events.

Over the break, the Athletics Department held a drive to help the victims of a condominium fire in Bridgeport. During the home basketball and hockey games, donations were collected to help those who had lost all their possessions. The student-athletes then personally delivered the donated items to the victims. Way to go, Pioneers!

Congratulations to Kait’s Angels for being named People of the Year for 2015 by The Suffolk Times. The group was honored for inspiring compassion among youth and helping others. The group was started in memory of former SHU student Kaitlyn Doorhy who passed away after she was hit by a car at the beginning of last year’s fall semester. Some of the group’s projects have included raising money for local families in need and donating Buddy Benches to elementary schools to teach children the importance of friendship.

Recently Mike Kinney sent out an email with information on memberships to Great River Golf Club. In the photo below, you can see me handing over my check for the best deal in golf! For more information, contact Lori Seamon at 203-876-8051, x104 or lori@grgolfclub.com. Hope to see you on the links come spring!

Tomorrow SHU will host its first-ever graduate student retreat on campus. The retreat titled, “Being Christ-Centered in the Professional Workplace,” will take place in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. Participants will participate in group discussions, personal reflection and journal time and will hear from SHU professor David Cameron.

Enjoy the holiday weekend, and let’s have a great spring semester!